Aerial view of a historic neighborhood with stone medieval tower, Signa e Lastra a Signa - Florence
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All around Florence: medieval festivals, quarries of sand and saffron

The villages of Signa and Lastra a Signa.

All around Florence! Wandering around Florence you can discover surprising places full of history and traditions that make them unique. This is the case of Signa and Lastra a Signa, two villages located to the west of Florence, which hide a true treasure in their streets and in the pride of their inhabitants.

What to see in Lastra a Signa

Lastra a Signa is located in a hilly area, overlooking the Arno valley, south-west of Florence. During the 1500s Lastra a Signa became a thriving commercial and manufacturing centre, which reached its maximum expression starting from 1774 when the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo gave life to the Lastrigian community, reunifying the pre-existing villages.

Lastra a Signa is located along the route that connects Florence to the sea and is in a strategic position for visiting Siena, Pisa and Livorno, taking advantage of a relaxing stay in the hills in which to discover two surprising things:

  • Lastra a Signa is called the City of Music, because it hosts the Enrico Caruso Museum (for the younger ones: Caruso was a Neapolitan tenor famous throughout the world). Caruso, at the height of his global fame, in 1905, chose Lastra a Signa as the place to move and sing freely in the peace of the Tuscan hills; he took up residence in the splendid Villa Caruso Bellosguardo, today part of the museum together with its sixteenth-century park.

  • Lastra a Signa is the City of Italian Saffron. This small municipality is the starting point of the Strade dello Zafferano, a project to valorise this excellent product and its precious saffron groves. A perfect quality gastronomic stop for those who want to discover flavors in their natural habitat.


What to see in Signa

Signa, the river port of medieval Florence, is located at the confluence of the three rivers Arno, Bisenzio and Ombrone Pistoiese, and offers a route dotted with villas and hills. It offers numerous landscape attractions and unique natural environments such as the fun Renai Park, a summer must for Florentines: sailing school, windsurfing school, boat rental, swimming pool, five-a-side football pitches and beach volleyball fields, mini golf and climbing wall, children's playground, bar and restaurant and beach equipped for bathing. Wow!

Inside there is also the WWF integral reserve, rich in typically river and lake flora and fauna. Finally, along the Arno River there is a 10 kilometer cycle path, which connects the Renai to the Cascine Park in Florence.


Other interesting things to do in Signa:

• Visit the Straw Museum, where objects made of straw, work tools and machines, and a selection of hats from the end of the 19th century to 1970 are brought together. In the 20th century, Signa became the undisputed queen of quality straw hat manufacturing.

• Every year, the small village hosts the Antica Fiera di Signa, in early September (immediately after the Antica Fiera di Lastra!). A true Medieval Festival: ancient crafts, jesters, shows for adults and children and the spectacular fire of the Northern Tower, to relive the siege of 1397.


Slow tourism with destination Signa and Lastra a Signa

These two villages are excellent destinations for stunning landscapes and paths steeped in history: the Renaissance Ring and the Etruscan Way. Look at the map of all the paths in the Florentine area. 

How to reach Signa and Lastra a Signa

Both can be reached easily and comfortably by train!

Download the All Around Florence Brochure

To find out more about the history of all the Florentine surroundings, download the Feel Florence brochure, the official tourism information site of the Municipality of Florence and the Metropolitan City. Click here to download the brochure.